This page contains information on
- The Mental Health Clinical Assessment Service (MHCAS)
- Community mental health teams - including Primary Care Liaison and Crisis Teams.
- Mental Health Act assessment
- Mental health resources, including red and amber flags, and resources for clinicians and patients.
Mental Health Clinical Assessment Service (MHCAS)
The Integrated Access Partnership (IAP) delivers the MHCAS. Patients access the MHCAS by calling NHS 111 and choosing option 2 for mental health. The MHCAS is hosted by BrisDoc and staffed by a joint workforce with AWP mental health practitioners, and operates on a 24/7 basis.
If you have a case that would benefit from input from the MHCAS, please discuss with the MHCAS Clinical Navigator. Full details on the process of handing a case to MHCAS for mental health input can be found on the OOH Clinical Toolkit Cribsheet.
Further information about all the services AWP provide can be found here.
Triage Services (BNSSG)
North Somerset and South Gloucestershire have primary care liaison services (PCLS), which offer mental health telephone triage, face-to-face assessment, brief interventions, support, advice and signposting. Bristol has a single point of access (SPA) service, which offer the same services, except face-to-face assessment.
North Somerset – 01934 836406
Monday-Friday 8am-6pm (for advice) – referral form to be emailed to awp.nsompcl@nhs.net
Outside of these hours, calls to this number are diverted via AWP Switchboard to the relevant crisis team.
South Gloucestershire – 0117 378 7960
Monday-Friday 8am-5.30pm (for advice) – referral form to be emailed to awp.referralsonlysglospcls@nhs.net
Outside of these hours, please contact South Gloucestershire Intensive Team.
Bristol – 0117 919 5670
Monday-Friday 8am-10pm (for advice) – referral form to be emailed to awp.bmhtriage@nhs.net
Outside of these hours, please contact the relevant Intensive team in Bristol – Central, South or North.
There are currently three Primary Care Liaison and Triage services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The Primary Care Liaison Service (PCLS) provides a first point of contact to access mental health services. The teams offer mental health telephone triage, face-to-face assessment, brief interventions, support, advice and signposting.
Please see Remedy for further details and the referral forms for BNSSG patients.
Triage Services (BSW)
- Bath & North East Somerset (BaNES): 01225 371480
- Bath & North East Somerset Older adults: 01225 371411
- Swindon: 01793 836800
- North Wiltshire: 01380 737840
- South Wiltshire: 01722 820372
Information Relevant to Out of Hours Referral
You can make referrals to primary care liaison for short term support for people with mental health difficulties in the out of hours period.
Crisis/Intensive Teams (BNSSG)
There are currently five 24/7 crisis services across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. They respond to urgent referrals (such as those requiring a 4-hour or 72-hour response) and provide assessment and home treatment for individuals, as well as providing support and advice. 4-hour referrals should be made over the phone; however, 72-hour crisis referrals can be made by completing the referral form.
PLEASE NOTE: Telephone lines are only available 08:00 – 22:00 only, 7 days a week.
North Somerset – 01934 836497
South Gloucestershire – 0117 378 4250
Bristol Central – 0117 354 7257
Bristol North – 0117 354 6606
Bristol South – 01275 796209
Between 22:00 – 07:00: The phone number for the BNSSG Night Crisis Team is 0117 919 5670 (please note this number is for professionals only)
Crisis/Intensive Teams (BSW)
- BaNES Intensive Service: 01225 362814
- Swindon Intensive Service (SIS): 01793 715000
- Swindon Intensive Service; Sandalwood Court 01793 836800
- South Wiltshire (Fountain Way): 01722 820173
- South Wiltshire (Riverside Sanctuary): 01722 466680
- North Wiltshire – Green Lane Hospital: 01380 731292
- North Wiltshire – Chippenham Recovery Team: 01249 767800
Mental Health liaison teams BSW
- Royal United Hospital A&E Acute Liaison: 01225 362720 / 01225 428331 (BaNES)
- Great Western Hospital Mental Health liaison; 01793 327907 (Swindon)
- Sailsbury District Hospital Mental health liaison;- 01722 336262
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
BNSSG
Children and young people and their families who are currently open to a CAMHS team should contact their team directly (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Outside of these hours, callers should contact MHCAS via NHS 111 (option 2).
Professionals working in urgent care can contact the CAMHS Professional Line for advice and guidance on 0117 919 2317 (08:00 - 22:00, Monday to Sunday), or liaise with colleagues in MHCAS.
The CAMHS Getting Advice team can be contacted on 0117 340 8570 for queries about making referrals.
AWP CAMHS have a webpage for professionals available here.
BSW
BSW have a single point of access for all areas (covers BaNES, Swindon & Wiltshire): 01865 903330
Mental Health Act Assessment
For Mental Health Act (1983) Assessment Form click here.
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health: Red Flags Symptoms
| Red flag | Thoughts of ending your life or harming others and do you have, intent, or means to do so right now? | Active suicidal/risk of harm to others |
| Red Flag | Sudden or severe changes in your thinking — such as hearing voices, seeing things, extreme paranoia, or feeling very confused or disorganised. Thoughts that are making you feel unsafe. | Psychosis, mania, delirium |
| Red Flag | Distressed, low, or anxious that you cannot keep yourself safe, care for yourself, or manage essential daily tasks. | Severe functional breakdown, self-neglect, inability to maintain safety |
| Red Flag | Pregnant or within a year of giving birth, are you experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, feeling detached from your baby, or experiencing sudden severe mood/behaviour changes. | Perinatal crisis: postpartum psychosis, suicidality, infanticide |
| Red Flag | Age 65+ suicidal and isolated. Not known to mental health services. | High risk of suicide |
| Individuals in a mental health crisis may exhibit various distress signals, such as anxiety, agitation, hopelessness, thwarted sense of belongingness, guilt, burdensomeness and mood swings. Recognising these indicators is essential for timely support. | ||
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Mental Health Toolkit
The Mental Health Toolkit provides resources for healthcare professionals to reference regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems. The toolkit provides trigger questions, diagnostic tools, and current guidance for healthcare professionals supporting those with mental illness. It also provides resources for those concerned about their own mental health issues.
RCGP Mental Health Toolkit: CLICK HERE
Adult:
- Mind Line
- Vita Health – ofer a range of short-term Talking Therapies
- NHS self-help leaflets (not local)
- Remedy - Self-Harm
- Remedy - Social prescribing for Mental Health
- Remedy - Suicidal thoughts
- Safe Haven– Weston-super-Mare for those aged 16 +
- The Sanctuary– for those with serious emotional distress in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
- Bristol Wellbeing College
- Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders
Children & Adolescents:
CAMHS Mental health 24/7 response line (0800 953 1919) – advice for parents and patients in BNSSG with worries about mental health
- Remedy – CAHMS Referral Information
- Remedy – advice for Drug and Alcohol Services for Children
- Remedy – Sexual Assault and Abuse Support
- Happy Maps– local website for parents and professionals with a range of resources from birth to young adults. List of local self-help resources from this website.
- Off the Record– Young people (14-25 years old)